Marketers have been eagerly trying a variety of advertising options on Instagram ever since the platform received a new application programming interface (API) and became capable of running ads. According to a study published by Adweek in June 2015(Open Link in new window), Instagram has received more than 475 advertising campaigns from companies such as The Gap, Michael Kors, and Taco Bell as a result of its dedication to providing high-quality content and catering to a youthful audience.

How can other sectors make the most of the advertising potential offered by Instagram, given that it is a platform that is ideal for highly visual companies in the food and beverage, retail(Open Link in new window), and travel spaces? An excellent illustration of this can be found in Capital One, which recently attributed a 16 percent increase in ad recall to the platform Instagram.

An Inspiring and Captivating Campaign

A solid foundation was laid for the Instagram advertising campaign in terms of creative strategy, influencer activation, and user-generated content by the manner in which the “What’s In Your Wallet?” campaign was executed as well as the level of popularity it garnered (Open Link in new window).

Partnerships with Strategically Important Influencers

Capital One adopted a novel strategy by forming partnerships with three well-known Instagram influencers, namely Zach Rose (Open Link in new window), Kimberly Genevieve (Open Link in new window), and Paul Octavious (Open Link in new window), rather than just developing their own advertisements. This group of three contributed to Capital One’s Instagram account (@CapitalOne; Open Link in new window) with new content every week for a period of five weeks, bringing #walletstories to life from a variety of angles and in a variety of visual formats for the company and its fans to enjoy. Nine of the photos that were generated for the material were made into advertisements by Capital One.

Capital One saw a strategic opportunity in teaming with users recognised for fantastic photographs in order to create breathtaking graphics in order to give their campaign launch a boost. This was made possible as a result of Instagram’s encouragement of corporations to construct high-quality and engaging advertisements.

Visual Narrative and Commercial Messages as a Potent Combination

Instagram advertising is an art form in and of itself, and the use of visual storytelling is a potent tactic that can be implemented to make advertising material more memorable. When you take a closer look at each of the #walletstories that have been shared, it is delightful to discover the assortment of random and valuable personal treasures that people keep in their wallets, along with the stories that explain why they do so.

It’s evident that the finest tales are those that are accessible, intensely personal, and come to life with the assistance of a gorgeous visual (Open Link in new window). This can be seen in everything from old love letters to family pictures (and even a nametag from a game show competitor). The final product is strikingly unlike than the “What’s in Your Wallet?” advertising campaign, but in a positive manner.

Gain Wisdom from Your Previous Victories

According to a research that was published in Adweek(Open Link in new window) by Capital One, the use of the graphics helped enhance the company’s ad recall among Baby Boomers and Gen Xers by a factor of 16 percent. People who are 45 years of age and older saw a 25 percent increase in their ability to recall advertisements, which the company attributes to the fact that these individuals are more familiar with the Capital One brand. The percentage of millennials who have a favourable opinion of the Capital One brand rose by three percent.

Following the completion of this campaign, Capital One incorporated this data into programmes with Uber and a user-generated contest under the hashtag #MyRewardDay. Users across a variety of social media platforms were given until August 16, 2015 to upload images of themselves on vacation with the hashtags #MyRewardDay and #Contest for a chance to win $10,000 to use towards their next excursion.